Missing the Kingdom

Missed "worship" this morning because Owen is getting over a fever.  I had to stay home with him and Will while Angela went to sing.  So, I took the opportunity to drive the kids around downtown Knoxville (actually I was just trying to let Will sleep) on a Sunday morning while listening to "Behold the Lamb of God" (which I was missing at WTCC) and Gungor's "Beautiful Things" album.  The contrast between the people all dressed up going in to all the numerous churches in the area and the homeless coming out of KARM and congregating on the surrounding streets really caught me off guard.  My thoughts corresponded with the lyrics I was hearing and really took me to a place of communion with God.  Funny the places we find God and true worship.  It also got me thinking about "worship" on Sunday morning.  This is not a new thought process for me.  I have been battling with the way we "do church" for some time.  I wanted to go and get some coffee and bagels and share with those I was driving by.  I wanted to stop and just love like Christ those I was seeing from the warmth of my car as I drove back to the excess of West Knoxville.  Maybe I missed an opportunity, maybe God was showing me something I needed to do.  I didn't know what to do with my two boys in the back of the car.  Not sure Angela would have appreciated me hanging out with my kids outside KARM on a chilly morning.  But, maybe that is just an excuse like everything else that we use to turn our attention away from those in need and go back to our normal suburban lives.

I think God has been trying to remove me from my comfortable suburban environment and show me those things that break his heart.  Those things that hurt him and should hurt me as well.  This brings me to the title of this post.  Are we missing the Kingdom because we don't have the eyes of Christ and the heart of God? What are we missing, because of the sin in our lives obscuring our vision and because we are so good at turning our attention away from those things that make us uncomfortable, so we have learned to look the other way.

Father God, break my heart with those things that break your heart.  Remove the sin from my life that keeps me from you and from seeing your Kingdom around me.  Help me to get past myself and help others.  In you son's name.  Amen

This is the other place God has taken me this week. http://www.strength.org/